Single lever draw latches are known in the art. A single lever draw latch, for example mounted on a door, uses a simple lever device to produce a force to draw the door towards, and to secure the door to, a strike element, such as those commonly mounted on recreational vehicles. Typically, the door is pivotably mounted on the recreational vehicle. Thus, the door can be pivoted between a fully open position and a fully closed position, with the draw latch and the strike element cooperating to secure the door in the closed position.
The draw latch has a lever arm which is pivotably mounted to a latch housing which is mounted on the door. The lever arm has a first end for receiving the strike element and a second end with a handle. The lever arm can be pivoted between a first position, wherein the second end is substantially flush with an exterior surface of the door, and a second position, wherein the second end protrudes significantly from the exterior surface of the door. If the door is pivoted such that the first end of the lever arm abuts the strike element, then movement of the lever arm from the second position to the first position will cause the first end of the lever arm and the strike element to cooperate to secure the door in the fully closed position. Alternatively, if the lever arm is moved from the first position to the second position, the first end of the lever arm and the strike element are spaced such that the door may be pivoted out of the fully closed position to the fully open position.
Because the second end of the lever arm protrudes significantly from the exterior surface of the door in the second position, pivoting the door to the fully open position with the lever arm in the second position can cause the second end of the lever arm to hit an exterior side of the recreational vehicle, which may damage the side of the recreational vehicle. The damage may result in warranty claims by the purchaser of the recreational vehicle on which the latch is mounted and general customer dissatisfaction.
Alternatively, as soon as the door is pivoted such that the first end can no longer receive the strike element, the lever arm can be rotated into the first position, such that the second end of the lever arm is flush with the exterior of the door. This may prevent damage to the side of the vehicle caused by the second end of the lever arm when the door is moved into the fully opened position.
However, in moving the lever arm into the first position, the first end of the lever arm protrudes from the door. Unless the vehicle user remembers to move the lever arm into the second position before attempting to close the door, the force generated when the first end of the lever arm collides with the strike element may damage the strike element and possibly knock the draw latch out of alignment.
Additionally, the setting of the lever to generate the force to secure the door to the strike element may vary over time, requiring frequent adjustment.
It is also known in the art to have a latch with a lever arm made of two pieces: a first piece for receiving the strike element and a second piece having a handle. Both pieces are pivotably attached to the latch housing. The second piece can be moved from a first position substantially flush with the exterior surface of the door on which the latch is mounted to a second position in which the second piece abuts the first piece to move the first piece into a position in which the first piece cannot receive the strike element. The second piece is biased in the first position, while the first piece is biased such that it ordinarily would be disposed to receive the strike element.
Because the first piece is biased so that it would ordinarily be disposed to receive the strike element, if the first piece is not first moved into a position in which the first piece cannot receive the strike element when the door which the latch is mounted on is closed, the collision of the first piece with the strike element may cause damage to the strike element, the latch, or both.